Southeast Asian refugees at risk of deportation in Massachusetts are asking President Biden to pardon them before he leaves office.
Deportations skyrocketed under the first Trump administration with removals of Cambodians up nearly 300%.
Kevin Lam, co-executive director of the Southeast Asian Freedom Network, said many Vietnam War refugees lacked the resources to apply for citizenship and risk being separated from their families once again.
"There's action that the Biden Administration can take right now to truly protect immigrant and refugee communities from the threat of detentions and deportations under Trump," Lam contended.
Lam pointed out it includes extending the Temporary Protected Status for immigrants from countries impacted by war or other dangerous conditions and protecting DACA recipients with new H-1B visas.
The 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam War will be marked in 2025. More than 1 million Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian refugees resettled in the U.S., including parts of Boston and Lowell. Some became entangled in the criminal justice system as they grappled with the trauma of war and now face removal over decades-old convictions.
Lam stressed Biden can rectify policies he once supported, which led to mass incarceration and expulsion of refugees.
"The implications of policies that were passed under him and actions that were taken through him have put Southeast Asians into the prison to deportation pipeline," Lam asserted.
Last month, Biden granted clemency to nearly 1,500 Americans and said he would consider more pardons before the end of his term next week.
Lam argued refugees who fled U.S. military intervention to rebuild their lives in Massachusetts deserve the same chance.
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With President-elect Donald Trump set to take office on Monday, a Pennsylvania group is helping some residents prepare for possible deportation actions and warning of the consequences.
Trump has said his administration will undertake what he called "the largest mass deportation in U.S. history."
Cathryn Miller-Wilson, executive director of the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society Pennsylvania, advised people to stay calm, assert their right to a hearing and avoid opening their doors to unexpected visitors. She added mass deportation would mean workforce shortages for the state, as well as higher tax burdens for residents and businesses.
"What's going to happen if there is success with the proposed policies is, first of all, a good chunk -- maybe 50% or more -- of the workforce will simply disappear," Miller-Wilson pointed out. "They'll either be put into detention or they'll be deported," she said.
America First Legal, representing the Trump administration, has already cautioned more than 200 officials in so-called "sanctuary" jurisdictions about possible legal repercussions for hindering federal immigration enforcement or assisting undocumented people.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has pledged to protect residents' rights and uphold community safety.
Miller-Wilson said her organization is working with officials to help keep schools and courts safe, ensuring the children of undocumented parents can go to classes without fear. She added they are also working to provide legal resources and social services to people, particularly those who have lower incomes.
"We've been receiving, since Election Day, an increasing number of calls from individuals who want representation; who may be eligible for a legal remedy and are concerned about trying to get that remedy before the 20th, something that is likely not to happen because the immigration process is so slow," Miller-Wilson outlined.
Miller-Wilson explained misinformation leads to misunderstandings about who crosses the border, and said many people who are undocumented initially entered the country legally but let their visas expire.
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A proposed amendment to strip Chicago of its sanctuary protections is scheduled to be voted on this week.
The change to the Welcome City Ordinance would allow Chicago police to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to deport undocumented residents arrested for crimes related to gangs, drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and sex crimes involving minors.
Ed Yohnka, director of communications and public policy for the ACLU of Illinois, said the move could be illegal.
"Changing the ordinance would put the city of Chicago at odds with the state policy around the Illinois Trust Act, where that would then situate the state's largest city in terms of cooperating with ICE officials when other people are not permitted to."
State law prohibits Illinois law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration agents. The proposed amendment will be voted on at Wednesday's city council meeting.
Alders Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares said they proposed the tweak to appease the incoming Trump administration and deter action against law-abiding noncitizens. Yohnka called the idea unsettling.
"Changing that now when you have an administration that speaks with such cruelty and ferocity about newcomers is, I think, especially corrosive and troubling," Yohnka added.
Other concerns he raised are the lack of due process and how the change would undermine public safety.
Both Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Gov. JB Pritzker have said they would protect noncitizen immigrants. Pritzker would make one exception, arguing felons should be evicted from the country.
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Organizations supporting farm workers are ramping up efforts to protect immigrant laborers in light of looming mass-deportation threats.
About 40% of farm workers are not authorized to legally work in the United States, according to the Department of Agriculture. But Elizabeth Walle, communications director for the Food Chain Workers Alliance, said immigrants play critical roles in keeping North Carolina's grocery shelves stocked and local economies afloat.
She explained the possibility of large-scale immigration crackdowns has fueled anxiety among these workers, many of whom already endure harsh working conditions.
"Something that is a consistent problem for farm workers is, obviously, people using their status as a way to control them," she said. "Whether you are undocumented or if you are an H-2A visa temporary worker, that's really an ongoing theme that's obviously going to be ramped up."
About 100,000 farm workers call North Carolina home. Walle said these workers are essential, not only to the food system but the broader economy. The Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that in 2022, undocumented workers paid almost $700 million in North Carolina state and local taxes.
Beyond immigration threats, Walle cited growing concerns about potential rollbacks to labor protections. She said farm workers' advocates have long fought for safeguards against extreme heat and unsafe working conditions, but these gains are now at risk. She added that attacks on the National Labor Relations Board could weaken worker protections further.
"Definitely concerned about what's going to happen to the National Labor Relations Board," she said. "Elon Musk and other CEOs and corporations have been kind of attacking NLRB for the last couple years."
Walle noted some farmers are also voicing concern about potential disruptions to their workforce. She said she thinks increased reliance on H-2A visa workers to fill these gaps could heighten the risk of exploitation within the system. So, Walle said advocacy groups are trying to equip farm workers with the resources they need to navigate an uncertain future - such as legal or financial assistance.
"Focusing on stuff like 'Know your rights' trainings," she said, "which could be anything about how to deal with ICE, how to deal with your employer, how to prepare for being caught up in the immigration system. Also a lot of rapid response networks. "
North Carolina is home to almost 300,000 undocumented immigrants.
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